The subject invention relates to peelable labels and particularly to coupons adapted to be releasably attached to a secondary or base label which is adhered to a labeled article.
Peelable couponable labels are well known in the art. Typically such labels employ a dry adhesive such as is described by Dunsirn et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,838 wherein a xe2x80x9cdry residuexe2x80x9d adhesive without a release layer is used which results in a tack free bond. However, the dry adhesive of these labels splits leaving adhesive on both label surfaces. Moreover, when a paper label substrate is used in the dry bond approach of the prior art, typically the bond of the dry bond adhesive becomes greater on aging than the strength of the paper fibers resulting in fiber tear on attempting to peel the label or coupon. This results unavoidably in the tearing of one or both of the paper labels if it is an all-paper construction or the transfer of indicia on the paper fiber from one surface to the other which removes required indicia from one face and adheres it unwanted to the other label face. In cases where the substrate is a polymer the problem of increase in bond strength with aging reduces the peelability of the label.
The release layer of the present invention solves the problems associated with the dry bond adhesive approach by utilizing a conventional release layer and pressure sensitive xe2x80x9ctackyxe2x80x9d adhesive which can be produced on conventional laminating equipment.
The present invention also solves the manufacturing problems associated with the prior art. Namely, costly special machinery is required to laminate two preprinted webs of paper or polymer in register to produce the types of couponable structures of the prior art. In the present invention, by printing label graphics in reverse (random or registered) on the back side of the face label directly on the release layer, the graphics will be transferred to the adhesive on the face of the base label. All of the graphics can be printed on the primary face web in one press pass using the front and back side of the primary web. The graphics printed in reverse on the release layer will adhere and transfer to the tacky adhesive when laminated. By using this technique with registered indica, any conventional adhesive laminator can use tacky adhesive to produce registered couponable labels without special equipment to register two printed webs of paper or polymer. In addition, since the ink is transferring to the surface of the tacky adhesive, there will not be tack in the inked areas since the tacky adhesive is masked by the ink.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a peelable label wherein the base label with the adhered face label is applied to the article to be labeled with greater adhesion of the base sheet to the labeled article than adhesion of the face label to the base label so the top sheet can be removed from the base sheet with the base sheet remaining adhered to the labeled article.
It is another object of the invention to provide a peelable label wherein the use of the release coating facilitates the ease of removability (low bond strength) of the face label from the base label.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a peelable label wherein the printed indicia of the primary and secondary labels are laminated in registry to produce a primary face label with printed indicia registered with the printed indicia of a secondary base label.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a peelable label wherein the indicia of the primary and secondary labels are printed in one printing pass in registry to produce a primary face label with printed indicia registered with the printed indicia of a secondary base label.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a cohesive transfer base to add integrity to the printed image which will mask the tack of the tacky adhesive in the areas applied.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a process for the manufacture of the peelable label of the present invention.
Accordingly, the present invention comprises a peelable label wherein a primary or face label with or without indicia on the reverse side is coated with a release layer and adhered or laminated with a clear or contact clear tacky adhesive to a secondary or base label. The secondary label can be printed randomly or registered with indicia on the front and/or back side. The primary and secondary substrates can be either paper, polymer or a combination of paper and polymer. In a preferred embodiment, the printed indicia of the primary and secondary labels are laminated in registry to produce a primary face label with printed indicia registered with the printed indicia of a secondary base label.
The back side of the secondary label is affixed to the object to be labeled through the use of adhesives. The base label with the adhered face label is applied to the article to be labeled with greater adhesion of the base sheet to the labeled article than adhesion of the face label to the base label so the top sheet can be removed from the base sheet with the base sheet remaining adhered to the labeled article. The use of the release coating facilitates the ease of removability (low bond strength) of the face label from the base label.